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How many of you who bet on Sunday’s Queen’s Plate are second-guessing yourselves today?

The race on paper had one speed, maybe a couple of horses who like to stalk, and a whole lot of horses who like to run late.

So, the only question was, could Midnight Aria carry his speed an entire mile and a quarter?

He answered the question in the affirmative and those who believed in him were rewarded with a 16-1 mutuel.

The 154th Plate was run before a good crowd at Woodbine that enjoyed the festivities the track put together despite heavy rain throughout the day.

Giving Jesse Campbell his first win in Canada’s most prestigious horse race, Midnight Aria perfectly executed the only possible game plan he could have. The splits were ideal with each quarter hovering around the 25-second mark. It seemed around the turn that perhaps either Dynamic Sky or Spring in the Air might have a run at him around the final turn, but neither was able to sustain that run. Race favourite Up With the Birds, who was nearly last early, was the only late closer to have a shot at Midnight Aria, but could get within only a half-length at the end.

“The trip was just like we were hoping,” Campbell said. “He was able to get comfortable earlier in this race. I wanted to push the button at the three-eighths pole, which may sound too soon, but that’s the nature of this horse.

“I wanted some separation turning for home. I didn’t care about getting beat at the wire. That’s what I wanted. The closer we are to the wire, the more he’s going to fight for that wire. I knew he wasn’t going to quit.”

It was a case of deja vu for trainer Nick Gonzalez, who won his first Plate in 2010 with Big Red Mike, who also went gate-to-wire.

“It looked like a paceless race on form,” Gonzalez said. “The fractions were realistic. We knew he was a stayer even though he got beat going a mile and a 16th and a mile and an eighth.”

“He’s a big, long-striding horse. He wasn’t under a lot of pressure going along the back side. The last 70 yards were adventurous, but he showed he’s a true stayer.”

At the beginning of 2013, the prospect of Midnight Aria winning a Queen’s Plate was on nobody’s radar. The owners, Lou Tucci and his uncle Carlo Tucci, didn’t even own the horse. On Jan. 24, they, Gonzalez, claimed him for $35,000 after a turf race for maiden claimers at Gulfstream Park. He won his next race and was on the board in two more Miami starts before being shipped up to Woodbine.

Midnight Aria finished third in the minor Wando Stakes on May 5 and after that, was third in the Plate Trial on June 9.

He is the first horse since Bompago in 1983 to win the Plate after being claimed.

“I thought the day we claimed him we had something here,” Lou Tucci said. “I knew we had a real nice horse. My uncle and I have always talked about the Queen’s Plate, but we thought our horse would be River Seven.”

That runner, who won the Grey Stakes last year, finished 10th on Sunday.

Gonzalez and the Tuccis went to Gulfstream back in the winter, specifically looking for Ontario breds to bring back north. The claiming of Midnight Aria had a bit of a twist that wasn’t thought of at the time.

“It was a funny story about the mother (Shebandowana). Lou and Carlo claimed her uneventfully some years back and she turned out to be not good. They gave her away for a pittance.”

“When Midnight Aria came to Gulfstream that day, we just put in the claim slip and luckily no one else did.”

Gonzalez also acknowledged his staff which includes wife Martha.

“It’s always a Team Gonzalez thing,” he said.

For Campbell, who at one time was one of the top riders on the Chicago circuit of Arlington and Hawthorne, and who knew the importance of the Queen’s Plate before he came north three years ago, he knew to stick to his business.

“It is like any other race. The last thing I need to do is get jittery,” he said. “Having said that, once I hit the wire, I knew it was a different race.”

It was his first win in a $1-million race and, after the win, he got emotional.

“I’ve waited many years for this,” he said. “I’m a fourth-generation rider, and this is for my family.”

A native of Wisconsin, Campbell grew up in Chicago. He decided he needed a change prior to the 2011 season.

“Chicago racing was going south and I felt I needed more opportunity,” he said. “I loved it when I came up here, and it has been a blessing.”

Of course, the next question is whether Midnight Aria will contest the Prince Of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie which will be run on July 30.

Given that Gonzalez has a long association with the border oval and that Midnight Aria has already proven himself on a dirt track, it should be a given for now.

HOW THEY FINISHED

1. Midnight Aria

Gate to wire, never truly tested.

2. Up With the Birds

Favourite was 12th early, made big move around turn.

3. Dynamic Sky

Looked like he may challenge. Settled for third.

4. Spring in the Air

Mark Casse filly made noise around the turn but couldn’t sustain run.

5. Jagger M

Longshot ran mid-pack the whole way.

6. His Race To Win

Ran eighth early in the race, but never threatened.

7. Pyrite Mountain

Went five-wide around the turn. Had nothing late.

8. Nipissing

Oaks winner lacked the kick she showed four weeks ago.

9. Kaigun

Chased Midnight Aria early, then faded.

10. River Seven

Similarly was close early but was fading around the turn.

11. County Lineman

Mid-pack early. No response late.

12. Rackman

Started gallantly but showed he was steps below these.

RAIN? NEW TRACK? NO SWEAT!

It was fitting that the $200,000 Highlander Stakes has a new sponsor in Pizzaville. It was certainly a rainy day. And boy, did it wreak havoc with the traditional Queen’s Plate co-feature.

While the horses were kept in the saddling enclosure, officials walked the turf to determine if the mid-afternoon downpour made the turf unsafe. After deciding it was, the race was moved to the Polytrack. While further scratches were expected (two of the 13 were pulled out earlier), all the horses took to the track as scheduled.

The change in surface did not bother Go Blue Or Go Home in the least. The lightly raced 4-year-old colt, who came into the race on a two-race winning streak, took the lead right from the break and was never really tested, drawing off to a four-length victory.

The victory marked the second stakes win and fifth win on the Queen’s Plate undercard for jockey Luis Contreras. Spin the King, with Contreras up, outgamed 3-5 favourite Go Greeley in deep stretch to win the $150,000 Clarendon Stakes by a short head. It was the first win for the Brian Lynch-trained colt in two starts.

Go Blue Or Go Home’s win was also the second stakes triumph for trainer Reade Baker and owners Jim and Susan Hill.

In their first, a textbook stalking trip by Jesse Campbell paid off when he guided Solid Appeal to win the $200,000 Dance Smartly Stakes.

The four-year-old daughter of Successful Appeal ran relaxed, two lengths off pacesetters Coffee Clique and Hard Not To Like.

She began to approach the leader near the top of the stretch and began to pull away shortly thereafter. Julie’s Love also worked her way through the tiring frontrunners to end second.

“She just ran huge today,” Campbell sald. “She popped out of the gate running. She just travelled so well to the quarter pole and when I asked her, she actually moved quicker than I thought she was going to.”

“I didn’t want to make the lead that soon. Thank God I had that much horse.”

It was her fifth win in the past eight starts. She came off a victory in the Nassau Stakes in late May, her first stakes score.

When the day’s driving rain was at its worst, Forte Dei Marmi was at his best. His sparkling victory in the $150,000 Singspiel Stakes gave trainer Roger Attfield his fifth consecutive win in the event and his sixth overall.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, the seven-year-old soft-turf specialist galloped patiently near the rail and in mid-pack for much of the 11/2-mile race.

In the stretch, the British-bred veteran simply went about his business while the remainder of the field simply couldn’t handle the weather and conditions. The result was a 61/4-length winning margin.

How many of you who bet on Sunday’s Queen’s Plate are second-guessing yourselves today?

The race on paper had one speed, maybe a couple of horses who like to stalk, and a whole lot of horses who like to run late.

So, the only question was, could Midnight Aria carry his speed an entire mile and a quarter?

He answered the question in the affirmative and those who believed in him were rewarded with a 16-1 mutuel.

The 154th Plate was run before a good crowd at Woodbine that enjoyed the festivities the track put together despite heavy rain throughout the day.

Giving Jesse Campbell his first win in Canada’s most prestigious horse race, Midnight Aria perfectly executed the only possible game plan he could have. The splits were ideal with each quarter hovering around the 25-second mark. It seemed around the turn that perhaps either Dynamic Sky or Spring in the Air might have a run at him around the final turn, but neither was able to sustain that r